Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
Re: US Submarines vis-a-vis U-Boats
Posted by:
J.T. McDaniel
()
Date: December 03, 2005 04:53PM
Our commanders certainly thought the Japanese had functional detectors, judging from the number of comments in patrol reports about planes showing up as soon as they started running the SD radar. SD was useful, but most COs preferred to key the transmitter intermittently, rather than run it all the time, being convinced the enemy was using it as a homing beacon.
The Japanese also fielded surface ship and airborne radar as the war progressed, but never managed to same effectivness as the Allied types. They had a lot of good engineers, but, like the Germans, never developed a cavity magnetron, which limited radar effectiveness. Our own radar detection reports indicate Japanese radar operated mostly in the 96-350 MHz range.
Guppy, by the way, is a modification series, not a class. The sub in Philadelphia, BECUNA, is a BALAO class boat with Guppy IA modifications. The only real difference between a GATO and a BALAO was the thickness and type of steel in the pressure hull, which allowed the BALAOs to dive an extra 100 feet, and the conning tower fairwater design, which was minimal in the BALAOs. The TENCH class boats, only a few of which saw active service during the war, were also an incremental advance, with most of the differences being found in the machinery (2 variable speed motors in a TENCH vs. 4 high-speed motors and reduction gears in a GATO/BALAO).
J.T. McDaniel
The Japanese also fielded surface ship and airborne radar as the war progressed, but never managed to same effectivness as the Allied types. They had a lot of good engineers, but, like the Germans, never developed a cavity magnetron, which limited radar effectiveness. Our own radar detection reports indicate Japanese radar operated mostly in the 96-350 MHz range.
Guppy, by the way, is a modification series, not a class. The sub in Philadelphia, BECUNA, is a BALAO class boat with Guppy IA modifications. The only real difference between a GATO and a BALAO was the thickness and type of steel in the pressure hull, which allowed the BALAOs to dive an extra 100 feet, and the conning tower fairwater design, which was minimal in the BALAOs. The TENCH class boats, only a few of which saw active service during the war, were also an incremental advance, with most of the differences being found in the machinery (2 variable speed motors in a TENCH vs. 4 high-speed motors and reduction gears in a GATO/BALAO).
J.T. McDaniel
